Judge in Young Dolph murder case removes himself based on appeals court order

By ADRIAN SAINZ
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge has removed himself from the Young Dolph murder case Friday. The judge was ordered to recuse by a Tennessee appeals court, which questioned whether he could be impartial to a man charged with killing the rapper two years ago. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee asked the court clerk to assign a new judge to the high-profile case. The appeals court issued its order Sept. 28 after Coffee refused to step down at the request of the lawyer for one defendant. Coffee had set a March 11 trial date, but it was not immediately clear how Coffee’s recusal would affect that.